Consumer Reports is in the midst of a thorough evaluation of inverter generators...2KW class models to be precise. In a preliminary report, they are recommending the Honda (of course) a Westinghouse model (surprise) and the "Predator Brand" sold by Harbor Freight. The praised the Predator for its low noise levels. The Predator costs less than half the price of the Honda.

By coincidence, Harbor Freight may be running discounts on their Predator line...including a roughly 3500 watt model favored by people who run AC.

A friend just bought a Predator 2KW to pair with his Honda. He loves it. It pairs perfectly to run his 15 KBTU AC, and he says it's as quiet or quieter than his Honda.

I'll stick with my Champion 3400. It is the most reliable and easy to service generator I've ever owned. The oil drain plug is a hose that allows me to drain the oil without any tools...just squeeze the hose clamp with my two fingers to remove it from its holder and lay flat to drain oil. My Champion can run air conditioning from eco mode and the remote start/shutdown fob/feature is incredible. 3 year warranty for Champion is a plus too.

Does consumer reports do long term testing of their generators? Say, put 3000 hours on them and see if the engine can make it that long under a load?

I was camping just last week at the beach and paid special attention to generators as I am in the market for one. Witnessed a few different ones:

Champion 3400 Dual Fuel - Not too loud. Certainly noticeably louder than the other inverter generators on this list but they were both 2k generators. I would say that while a little louder, the tone was not annoying at all.

Honda 2000 - It was a Honda. Very quiet. Tone was not annoying. It was positioned at the rear of of a 20-22ft trailer backed into the site. At the front of the site, it was almost unnoticeable. It was actually run well beyond the 9pm quiet time deadline for some reason without being an issue

Predator 2000 - It was very quite. Not as quiet as the honda but pretty darn quiet. The only negative thing I noticed was that the audible tone of the generator was tinny (that's not a word I know) and it bothered my ears.

Standard open frame generator - WOW! Someone set this 5500 watt open frame generator at the front of his site and ran it ALL day. It was obnoxiously loud and many neighbors took issue.

The Honda was the standout but as I will not spend that $$ on a camping generator, I am still looking.

I have the Champion 3500/4000 and love it, been using for years, nice and quiet, i just bought a new toy hauler and was gonna have the dealer install a onan but for the cost ill just use my $300 unit. runs everything just fine. i had it sitting next to a honda a few years back and the only time you could tell the diff is when the honda went to idle mode. and again it was $2k

I have the Champion 3500/4000 and love it, been using for years, nice and quiet, i just bought a new toy hauler and was gonna have the dealer install a onan but for the cost ill just use my $300 unit. runs everything just fine. i had it sitting next to a honda a few years back and the only time you could tell the diff is when the honda went to idle mode. and again it was $2k

That's something that people don't factor in, that the bigger generator will typically be quieter while working as it's working less than the smaller/quieter counter part.

I did a lot of research before buying our two Honda 2200 inverter generators. I know there are others that are cheaper, however I went with the Honda's because of their proven reliability. I also liked the ideal of being able to lift and carry one around, about 50 lbs. full of fuel. I ran a test with the two that I purchased to see how long they would run on the .95 of a gallon of gasoline that each holds. I filled each tank full, paralleled both together, started them and went inside and turned the 15K Air Conditioner on. I set the thermostat to 72 degrees, the outside air temperature was 88 degrees. Both generators ran for seven hours with the AC unit on. I have since mounted them on the rear of our 5th wheel TT, inside of a lockable aluminum storage box for security. The setup allows me to operate the generators while locked in the box. I can run the AC while being towed or sitting still.

I have the Champion 3500/4000 and love it, been using for years, nice and quiet, i just bought a new toy hauler and was gonna have the dealer install a onan but for the cost ill just use my $300 unit. runs everything just fine. i had it sitting next to a honda a few years back and the only time you could tell the diff is when the honda went to idle mode. and again it was $2k

And there you have it... perspective.

If you have the 3500/4000 Champion it is NOT an inverter generator but rather an open frame generator that is WAY too noisy for in a campground.
If you use it to boondock on private land it really doesn't matter.

If you have the 3500/4000 Champion it is NOT an inverter generator but rather an open frame generator that is WAY too noisy for in a campground.
If you use it to boondock on private land it really doesn't matter.

My point... what is OK for some, isn't for others.

ok whats the DB rating thats OK for campgrounds? ive never had an issue, but before i buy another one id would like to know the rules,
thanks